The road to the top isn’t a road in the first place. It’s a ladder that can snap at any given moment. So, whoever is at the top must make sure they’ve created a ladder secure enough to climb great heights.
Five seasons in, Rahul Chaudhari has established himself as the best in the business. He’s conjured up more than 500 points under his name, and 482 of them have come as a result of his stellar raiding exploits.
If there’s any player who wishes to dethrone Chaudhari, he better be ready to face the music and deliver day in, day out. On that note, let’s take a look at 5 players who could potentially dethrone Rahul from his glitzy throne.
#5 Rishank Devadiga
Just for a minute, throw the form book out of the window and look at Rishank for what he offers on the mat. Athletic, quick and skilled – Devadiga has all the ingredients to mount a challenge on Rahul.
Considering the high standards, he sets for himself, Rishank had a subpar season 4, picking up just 70 points. The season prior to that, he scooped up a massive 106. There’s no denying the talent. While at U Mumba, he lit up the NSCI Stadium at regular intervals with some supreme raiding.
Also read: Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: 5 players who came from humble backgrounds and made it big
But if Rishank wishes to secure the throne, he’ll have to be a lot more consistent. A task which will be all the more difficult in a season that’s going to be long and testing.
#4 Rohit Kumar
A usual suspect among the elite raiders of the game, Rohit Kumar’s Pro Kabaddi form has been dazzling. Last season, he scored an impressive 93 raid points. The season before? 102!
Kumar will enter season 5 as the dark horse who has a realistic chance at toppling Rahul Chaudhari from his throne. He’s always been considered as a relentless raider with an uncanny ability to cause damage at the right moments.
His quickness on the mat helps him change direction with relative ease, a trait that comes in handy when facing overzealous defenders. With each passion season, we’ve gotten to see the wide array of ammunition that Kumar possess in his arsenal.
#3 Ajay Thakur
The only player on the list not among the top ten raiders of season 4, Ajay Thakur’s performance at the Kabaddi World Cup threw light on the difference he can make.
Under the tutelage of Anup Kumar, Ajay thrived and was by far the best player of the tournament. At Puneri Paltan, Manjeet Chhillar couldn’t utilise him effectively which resulted in his numbers dropping. Thakur picked up only 63 points last season.
This time around, he’ll be captaining the Tamil Thalaivas. It’d be interesting to see how Thakur operates under his new role. Few can doubt his ability to change the game in an instant – he scored 5 super raids last season, second only to the man on the throne – Rahul Chaudhari.
#2 Deepak Niwas Hooda
From season 2 to season 4 – Hooda has displayed tangible improvements in his game. In what was initially viewed as a great tournament for him, the all-rounder turned raider picked up 69 points. But little did anyone expect that two editions later, he’d be topping the charts.
Deepak scored a massive 126 points in season 4 – almost an 100% upgrade over his season 2 exploits and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. With momentum on his side, Hooda has every reason to believe he can outshine Rahul in season 5.
Like Ajay Thakur, he’ll be captaining his side (Puneri Paltan) for the first time. As long as the pressure of making decisions doesn’t get to him, Deepak is in prime condition to hunt down the king.
#1 Pardeep Narwal
The most likely contender to the throne, over the past two seasons, Pardeep Narwal and Rahul Chaudhari have been subliminally trading blows with each other. Narwal took season 3 by storm, scoring a massive 116 points, leaving Rahul miles behind.
But Chaudhari isn’t the type to give up his mantle so easily. His reply last time around was nothing short of phenomenal. In a season when Narwal scored an unprecedented 131 points, Rahul went one step ahead and showed who is boss, picking up a mind boggling 146 points.
On the surface, Pardeep may seem like a guy who operates solely on instincts, but his ability to find openings is second to none. Narwal finds susceptible pockets on the mat that nobody in the stadium can spot. If there are two raiders who can hit the 200-point mark, it’s these two.
